Moose Hunts And Memories From Newfoundland's Wilds

Join us on the Hunts On Outfitting Podcast as we embark on an extraordinary moose hunting journey in Newfoundland with our special guest, Mackenzie Brewer. Mackenzie, an experienced outdoorsman and passionate hunter, shares captivating stories from his adventures across different terrains, from his childhood hunting expeditions with his father to his current pursuits in the beautiful wilderness of Saskatchewan. Unravel the unexpected twists of the fur market and discover the profound connection Mackenzie has with the great outdoors. 

Experience the thrill and camaraderie of a moose hunting expedition in the rugged landscapes of Newfoundland. You’ll feel the excitement of Mackenzie’s unforgettable trip gifted by his great uncle, complete with a stomach-churning ferry ride from Nova Scotia and a daring helicopter drop-off at a secluded camp. As the story unfolds, Mackenzie paints a vivid picture of the excitement, humor, and unpredictability of the hunt, highlighting the logistical challenges and unexpected surprises that make moose hunting an adventure like no other.

The episode also explores the cherished memories of hunting during the rut season, learning from missed opportunities, and the importance of supportive guidance from fellow hunters. Mackenzie recounts a personal tale of a father-son hunting trip, underscoring the bonding and memorable experiences shared along the way. From humorous anecdotes to heartwarming connections, this episode is packed with adventure, lessons learned, and the timeless thrill of the hunt. Tune in for an engaging exploration of the wilds of Newfoundland and the spirit of hunting camaraderie.

Check us out on Facebook  Hunts On Outfitting, or myself Ken Marr. Reach out and  Tell your hunting buddies about the podcast if you like it, Thanks!

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:11

this is hunts and outfitting podcast. I'm your host and rookie guide, ken meyer. I love everything hunting the outdoors and all things associated with it, from stories to howos. You'll find it here. Welcome to the podcast. All right, thanks for joining us on Hunts and Outfitting Podcast this week. On the podcast we're happy to have you, as always, if you guys want to, you know, care to leave us a rating or review on Apple or Spotify. It's very much appreciated.

Speaker 1 0:43

On the podcast this week we're going moose hunting. We haven't had any moose hunting stories in a little bit, so we are going to Newfoundland, the island of Newfoundland, and saying that, thinking about the island there, newfoundland's known for its fishing that's kind of how it was created is people going there to fish? They ended up bringing some moose along later on and it's a moose hunting haven, as we're going to hear about later. And speaking about that, I can't help but feel the need to mention that I've been hunting here where we're at in New Brunswick. We've had a lot of snow. I've had been hunting my both my beagles and my coon hounds a lot more lately. So I decided to switch things up a bit and try the Marine 25 blend with Inuksuk dog food, I got to tell you, with a hundred percent ocean sourced animal proteins. This thing is loaded with all kinds of omega threes and also it's got salmon, herring, white fish. This stuff's all coming from the ocean. The dogs have been doing great on it because they're burning a lot more calories going through deep snow this time of year. The beagles it's right over their backs and at 580 calories per cup, these guys are able to just keep going day after day. I almost felt like eating some of it myself because I've been a little bit more sore, but I just wanted to share that out there. If you guys are looking for an Inuk Shuk dealer with over 800 resellers across North America, there is somebody near you. If you just go on their website, you type in your address, you'll find somebody. They're able to keep their prices really reasonable and low where they're not selling to the big box stores and they put the savings back in your pocket. I know I sure do appreciate it.

Speaker 1 2:29

Now, with the podcast this week, we're excited to introduce to you Mackenzie Also. This podcast, this episode is being recorded. It is on our YouTube page Huntsman Outfitting Podcast on YouTube. If you guys do feel like you know what are these happy people look like that are talking on here? Well, you can see. If not, though, we really appreciate you guys listening in. So this week on the podcast we have someone that we've been trying to get on a few times now Mackenzie Brewer. Mackenzie is a local here by me. He's been cutting his teeth, hunting and farting around in the outdoor world for a little while, and this week we are going to talk to him about his moose hunt in the province of Newfoundland, mackenzie. Welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 1 3:16

Thanks for having me Anytime, so we've been trying to make this happen for a little bit. You work out west in Alberta, saskatchewan.

Speaker 2 3:24

Saskatchewan yeah.

Speaker 1 3:26

So I asked him like Kenzie, are you home for the holidays? He's like, yep, sure am. I'm like, well, let's get a podcast on and, you know, get it going. So you've been hunting for a little while now. Why don't you tell us about your start in it? And who are you? Who's everyone listening to? You know, paint us a picture.

Speaker 2 3:44

All right, I'm Mackenzie Brewer, I'm 25. I've been hunting pretty much since I was probably five. I always used to go out with Dad when he was hunting and then I kind of used to go by myself a little bit. My younger years, yeah.

Speaker 1 4:02

I've been hunting Legally and illegally, but that's okay, you know, it's the country and as long as you're not hurting anybody. No harm, no foul.

Speaker 2 4:11

Exactly.

Speaker 1 4:11

But yeah, said I grew up. Yeah, you're five years younger than me and I grew up with your cousin. Then we'd always see you. You know farting around, come along hunting and all that and shooting coons. You did some trapping too.

Speaker 2 4:26

Yeah, I trapped for a few years in high school, but then the market fell out of the fur so I got into it?

Speaker 1 4:31

What did you mainly target when you were doing the trapping? I did quite a few coons Okay yeah, what were you getting for them at their peak?

Speaker 2 4:40

I can't even remember. I think the year I get into it fur prices were up, so you could get like 50 bucks a raccoon.

Speaker 1 4:47

You were getting that much.

Speaker 2 4:48

Well, they did the year before I get into it. Oh, and then I get into it and we shipped her furs and we were getting like 25.

Speaker 1 4:58

Per coon.

Speaker 2 4:59

Yeah.

Speaker 1 4:59

That's not too bad.

Speaker 2 5:00

Yeah, I wasn't. I had a guy that was a trapper, so I'd catch them and skin them and then he'd flash them and stretch them and all that stuff. So I gave him half my fur check. That was the deal.

Speaker 1 5:11

Oh, okay, well, fair enough really.

Speaker 2 5:13

I caught a bobcat that year and Buddy's like yeah, it's probably worth like $250, $300. Nice cat I'm like perfect and I sent it to the auction and I got $24 for it and I had to give Buddy half because he did all the work and stuff on it.

Speaker 1 5:28

You're getting $25 for raccoon and you get that much for a bobcat well, I think I had to double check that maybe raccoons were less.

Speaker 1 5:35

But once I sold the bobcat for $24 it really pissed me off, so I got rid of it you weren't going to get rich doing it, and where we are too, you know we're not uh somewhere down south or whatever where they don't get snow and the pelts don't get as thick. I mean we have, uh, really good pelts here, yeah, really good quality, because it does get cold, fairly cold, yeah, um. So yeah, that's low. I just recently got into it was a we got, uh, we got four beaver, two muskrat, a mink and our otter, which is kind of cool in a week, in less than a week, but anyways, I haven't flushed them out yet. They're in the freezer. Skin them, flushed them out. So I guess that's a bit of a process.

Speaker 2 6:16

I've been told yeah, yeah, you want to know what you're doing yes, it's a lot of work, isn't it?

Speaker 1 6:21

flushing them yeah, yeah, you get that draw knife and you're working away at it.

Speaker 2 6:24

Yeah, catching them is like half the work.

Speaker 1 6:28

All right, because that's been a bit of work with all the snow we have lugging through all that Then, once you get back to the fur shed, it's a lot more work.

Speaker 2 6:37

That's where the fun begins.

Moose Hunt Adventure in Newfoundland

Speaker 1 6:39

Yeah. So, mackenzie, you went on a moose hunt in Newfoundland. For those that don't know, newfoundland is a province in Canada. It is surrounded by water. From Nova Scotia, which is the closest province to it on land, it is about an eight-hour ferry ride, give or take, depending on the weather, I remember if you go on I've been through there quite a few times trucking if you go on and they're chaining down all of the trailers and everything, you know, you're in for a rough ride like why do you guys chain though, down? They're like huh, it's a lot of wind.

Speaker 1 7:16

oh boy, I was seasick on there once on the ferry remember, it's the little things in life that you take for granted, like when you're laying in your bed at night at your house and your bed's not moving. You just, you don't, you don't even think about that, you just go to bed, you don't think anything of it. I'll tell you, when you're on a boat and the thing's just going up and down, up, and then you're just praying like stop moving, stop moving, it's not. I was like you know what? I'm never going to look at my bed at home the same way again it it's not moving, it's not rocking, and once you get seasick it does, because the boat's still going up and down, up and down. Yeah, I'm not a water guy, no, ocean guy, no, no, not an ocean guy. Don't have any sea legs. No, I didn't have a sea gut by the end of it. So, yeah, tell us about this moose hunt that you went on. So you said said, what you were saying before is about what?

Speaker 2 8:06

eight years ago, yeah, it was the fall of 2016. So eight years ago.

Speaker 1 8:11

Newfoundland is known for a lot, a lot of moose. They've got moose, they've got bear and they've got caribou for their big game species. They do not have any deer, no, or skunks or porcupines or anything like that no, or skunks, or porcupines, or anything like that. No, all right, mackenzie. So tell us how this hunt came about and how you got to go on it, and just your mental checklist too, before leaving. Okay.

Speaker 2 8:36

So I guess it was a grad gift for me from my great uncle. He called my dad and he said hey, do you think mackenzie would want to go to newfoundland this fall hunting? And dad said yes. My uncle said why aren't you gonna ask him? And dad said nope, I don't need to he said that he'd rather me go instead. Yeah, yeah, just asked him real quick but uh so anyways, fano's going and we got the rifle all sighted in. I borrowed a buddy's .300 Win Mag.

Speaker 1 9:09

Okay.

Speaker 2 9:10

So I got that sighted in, got all of our stuff ready when we left. We were planning on just me having a tag. Well, there was four of us that went.

Speaker 1 9:19

Four people with tags.

Speaker 2 9:20

Well, there was four of us that went. We were planning on having three tags. Okay, so it would be my great uncle and my dad's cousin and my dad and me. So we were planning on dad not having a tag, just kind of going for the trip.

Speaker 1 9:34

Yep.

Speaker 2 9:35

But then when we got there, he ended up getting a tag. Oh surprise, but we only had one gun between the two of us. So, dad's well, you shoot your moves first and then, if we got time, then I'll shoot one. Okay, all right but yeah, it was fun, we went over uh, so how did you?

Speaker 1 9:51

what outfitter did you use? How did you go about finding that outfit? Your uncle planned that part out. Yeah, he had that all yeah, orchestrated lined up.

Speaker 2 9:59

We went to, uh, adventure. Yeah, that's the name of it, right?

Speaker 1 10:03

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:08

So we went, we got to the main lodge after our boat ride and stuff and we spent the kind of got settled into the main lodge and spent a night there.

Speaker 1 10:14

So what area is the main lodge? So there's a business owner from our area that owns Adventure Quest Outfitters, murray Crookshank. The main lodge is that in Stephenville, newfoundland.

Speaker 2 10:28

I was 16. I have no clue.

Speaker 1 10:30

Okay, I don't even remember the exact area. I think it's near there, but yeah, so you guys got to the main lodge.

Speaker 2 10:36

Yep, so we spent a night there, and then the next afternoon we got on a helicopter. Yep, that'd be cool they flew us to the camp we were hunting out. Oh, that was really cool. I don't like turbulence in a helicopter, though yeah it's way worse than a plane like. I fly it west for work all the time, but when you're in a helicopter and you hit turbulence, it just drops straight down really like a lot like, sometimes like six feet did you really?

Speaker 1 11:03

yeah, oh, I didn't know that. Did the pilot say anything?

Speaker 2 11:07

He's like oh, you might have some turbulence.

Speaker 1 11:09

Oh you guys might want to put your head between your legs and kiss your butt. Goodbye. There's no parachute. I'd probably be a terrible pilot, cause I I would screw with people a little bit on purpose. Yes, just just get a little reaction Like I'm just kidding with you guys. I'm like oh no, but you know it's not funny. But you try to make a joke out of it. But he had everything under control, so you weren't worried.

Speaker 2 11:35

Yeah, no, it's good. So actually, how it worked, when we flew out, it was kind of a bad weather anyways. Like flew out, it was kind of a bad weather anyways, like really windy and stuff. Yeah, they had a lot of turbulence. Yeah, fair bet, and we actually ended up. I forget how we broke it up. You had to make a few different trips with luggage and getting people oh, because they got to have so much weight. Yeah, in there or they're only allowed to have so much, so much weight.

Speaker 1 12:01

Yeah and that reminds me of uh, you guys run a moose, since these guys they run an elk hunt, and uh, these guys had all tagged out on their elk and they, they got the elk loaded up and everything. There's four guys and the pilots like that that's way too much weight, I can't take all four of you and all these elk. The guys like come on the pilot, last year, let us do it and stuff right. Yeah, so he's like okay, all right, you guys can, you know, bring everything. So they go up, sure enough, come down, crash and then uh yeah.

Speaker 1 12:29

And then one of the hunters like do you know where we are? And then the other one's like yeah, yeah, he said I think this is the same spot that we crashed last year. All right, so anyways, back to your moose hunt.

Speaker 2 12:40

So yeah when we flew in on the helicopter. I can't remember who all was there, but two of us were at the camp, at the lodge that we were going to hunt out of, and they didn't know if the weather kept getting worse. They didn't know if they were going to fly the other people out.

Speaker 1 12:57

Oh, the other hunters from your party. Yeah, oh did you have the gun, or did your dad and were you guys together?

Speaker 2 13:03

Yeah, Uh, we split it up between gear. I think there's. I went with Amanda.

Speaker 1 13:10

I think in the helicopter.

Speaker 2 13:11

So there's two of us that went with some gear. We kind of broke it up a little bit, just in case the helicopter did crash and didn't kill everybody in the family.

Speaker 1 13:20

So you were like well, I've got the gun and your dad's looking. He's like, oh, I've got a McKenzie shaving kit.

Speaker 2 13:25

Yeah, Pretty much Okay. Anyways, we made it all in and Amanda, my dad's cousin. She was actually pregnant at the time.

Speaker 1 13:36

I can't remember Going on a moose hunt. Yeah, sorry, good for her.

Speaker 2 13:39

That's tough. I think she was like four or six months pregnant.

Speaker 1 13:41

I wouldn't be able to go if I had a cold. She was pregnant, growing human she went good for her.

Speaker 2 13:46

She got her bull the first day.

Speaker 1 13:47

I can't say we're getting to that, I gotta, don't, we gotta lead up to it. Yes, well, all right, so you guys got. I don't want to scold you on here, but you know, um, so you guys got to the king, you guys got to the remote lodge. Was that the only way to get there was fly in, fly out?

Speaker 2 14:04

well, yeah, you can get there on an ergo, but it's like a day and a half trip.

Speaker 1 14:09

I was going to say it must take a while.

Speaker 2 14:11

Yeah, yeah, okay so like the guides at the beginning of the season, took the ergos in but it's with like a bunch of food and stuff, but it's like quite a trip.

Speaker 1 14:19

It's a drive. Yeah, wow, so it's remote where you guys are hunting. Yeah, that's good, though I mean you want, yeah, I think it was at least like 20 minutes in the helicopter, yeah, okay. Yeah, that's a little cover, a lot of ground, you can, yeah, yeah, there's no stop signs in the air, no playing, I guess. But, um, yeah, okay. So you guys got into your remote camp the weather subsided, I'm guessing so that you guys could bring everyone else in the gear.

Speaker 2 14:45

Yeah, we all okay we all ended up making it it wasn't looking good there for probably half an hour or so, and then we made it.

Speaker 1 14:52

Really.

Speaker 2 14:52

Yeah, he's like. Actually I think the last group was right there hovering over the pond because the camp or that lodge or whatever was right on the edge of a. They call it Cormac Lake. It's about one kilometer wide by three kilometers long. Oh, so it's a big lake.

Speaker 1 15:10

Yeah.

Speaker 2 15:10

So he put the helicopter like right on the beach there right by the camp.

Speaker 1 15:14

Okay, that's cool.

Speaker 2 15:15

I got in like 20 feet away from where I was going to land. I didn't know if I dared land it, but I got her down and they get out. So I was like that would suck, going in the helicopter like 20 feet from where you're gonna land and then be like nope, sorry, see you later yeah, like wow, it all worked out we all made it there good.

Speaker 1 15:34

So you guys were like high fiving and hugging like haven't even started hunting yet. We barely made it here, yeah, um, so you guys got settled in. What was, uh, I mean, what was the remote camp like?

Speaker 2 15:45

it was really nice. Yeah, yep, they had, uh, there was a few different bedrooms, I guess, in it and they had like the main one with the hunters, and then it's got the kitchen in it.

Speaker 1 15:57

Okay.

Speaker 2 15:58

And then just off the kitchen there's another bedroom for the cook, because she'd be getting up at like three in the morning to start.

Speaker 1 16:05

So you guys, even at the remote camp, you guys still had a cook. Yeah, okay, that's cool.

Speaker 2 16:11

A cook and there was three guides there, so I think one guide stayed in the main camp with us and then there was a separate camp for the other two guys.

Speaker 1 16:21

Okay, nice, and then I'm guessing no other hunters around, no Very remote area you don't see anybody else. No, no, okay, so you guys got all settled in. You wake up the first morning, and then what's the plan?

Speaker 2 16:39

Are you going with your dad? You and your dad and the guide.

Speaker 1 16:42

Well, I'll have it chuck out.

Speaker 2 16:43

All right, shake it in for us. My uncle. He had already been out there a few different times so he knew one of the guides. So he got him because they knew each other and wanted to run together, and then the other two guides, I guess were coming with me and dad.

Speaker 1 16:59

Yeah.

Speaker 2 17:00

So we kind of just went on an Argo ride to check out the area and stuff.

Speaker 1 17:05

Yeah.

Speaker 2 17:06

But I think Amanda and her guide and Larry, my uncle or my dad's uncle, they went in the boat and there was a little island, probably like the size of your house, yeah, I guess, just off the water, like 40 yards. So he brought the boat in and got her set up on the island and then brought the boat, said good luck, yeah Well, he brought the boat, I think, and hid up on the island and then, uh, brought the boat, said good luck, yeah well, they brought the boat, I think, and hit it behind the island and then he called from the island yep and they got a bull right out to shore and she shot it first it's like, within the first, like within the first hour of leaving the camp to go hunting, gets dropped off an island drops a bull.

Speaker 1 17:49

Yeah, wow, that's quick, that's pretty good that's really good.

Speaker 2 17:53

Yeah, yeah, it was nice and by okay, that's pretty cool.

Speaker 1 17:57

Um, what, uh, what was she? Do you know what she was shooting for?

Speaker 2 18:00

a gun I think it was a 30 out six.

Hunting Moose in Newfoundland

Speaker 1 18:02

Okay, yeah, that'll do it yeah, so it's gonna wonder that too. What time of year were you guys hunting them? And so if he was calling, I'm guessing they were rutting yeah, I'm. Yeah, I meant to look this up so I didn't sound like an idiot on the podcast, but I think it was in october sometime, okay yeah, so that'd be a later right, because I mean, they're running here when we're hunting them in new brunswick and that's well, that's the end of sept, I guess. So yeah, so she got hers Pretty good-sized bull.

Speaker 2 18:34

Yeah, it was a four or a six-pointer, okay, yeah.

Speaker 1 18:38

I'm not really sure.

Speaker 2 18:38

Yeah, I've got a picture of it here. It was October 14th.

Speaker 1 18:42

Okay, yeah, so they were calling yeah and everything, yeah. So then she got that, brought it back to camp and you guys were like all right, pressure's on, you know, let's make it happen. Newfoundland does have a lot, a lot of moose. I mean, the whole uh island basically is bog, and if it's not bog, it's rocks, you know like so, um, all right. So you guys got back. Did you guys see anything? Did you see any wildlife?

Speaker 2 19:06

not, we didn't not that first day. So then we hunted for the next couple of days I guess it was me and dad and our two guides, and then my uncle went with his guide.

Speaker 1 19:20

So when you, they kind of come up with a plan in the morning where everyone was hunting so you weren't screwing each other up right you, you guys weren't calling back and forth, like calling like I hear the bulls, he's answering and you guys are like I got a bull coming at us. Yeah, Bull, sounds like he's in an ergo.

Speaker 2 19:36

Yeah, yeah, but anyways, we went out and hunted for a couple days, never seen anything. And then, how did that work? I missed a bull.

Speaker 1 19:47

All right, let's back up a bit and unpack this one out of the suitcase and it's okay. People miss, hunters miss.

Speaker 2 19:54

But you missed on a hunting. You're here to tell about it. Once in a lifetime trip.

Speaker 1 20:01

I'm going to tell you how I screwed it up.

Speaker 2 20:03

Sure, walk me through it.

Speaker 1 20:06

Let's go down memory lane for you, shall we?

Speaker 2 20:08

Yeah, we'd gone in the boat across the lake, so it was like a kilometer wide. We went to the other side of it, yeah, and we get up into the woods and we were calling and we had moose all around us, but we couldn't get anything to come out into an opening enough that we could actually get a shot. So we decided to change up the plan a little bit and we get back into the boat and when we were, we were going to go to the other end of the lake yeah so we started going in the boat and the guide's like holy fuck, that's a moose up there on the side hill.

Speaker 2 20:43

I've never even seen one before we could it. It was a kilometer away, aren't you a guide. Yeah, so we're in the boat.

Speaker 2 20:51

So he's like I'm going to see if I can get close enough to it. So we get in fairly close with the boat and then we hopped out of the boat and ran about probably 50 yards just so we could get in the opening and see it. So the guide made a couple of calls and to stopped it and it's probably like a 350 yard shot. Yeah, but I have a really I used to have a really bad habit of like tilting up. Okay, I'd always shoot over stuff.

Speaker 2 21:24

You when you shoot, you'd like always A mixture of that, and I'd always aim high.

Speaker 1 21:31

Okay.

Speaker 2 21:32

Like I don't know why.

Speaker 1 21:33

Any particular reason.

Speaker 2 21:35

Well, they're like I'm used to shooting deer and they're a little bit smaller target.

Speaker 1 21:39

Yeah.

Speaker 2 21:40

And the gun was sighted right in at 200 yards and he's like, oh, it's 350.

Speaker 1 21:46

So I tilted, falling a meter above his head.

Speaker 2 21:50

Yeah, pretty much yeah, and right behind him when I took my first shot, there was this rock and it was like well, it was a boulder. It was probably like 10 feet by 8 feet high.

Speaker 1 21:59

Yeah, it sounds like Newfoundland. It's rocks, boulders and bog.

Speaker 2 22:03

Yeah, so I shot and you could see the bullet ping off of this rock over his back. Really, yeah, so anyways, then it. I think.

Speaker 1 22:12

I shot at it. In all fairness, you're probably a little nervous too. Yeah, out of a moose, you know.

Speaker 2 22:19

And it was a nice bull too, yeah.

Speaker 1 22:21

No, that's understandable.

Speaker 2 22:22

I shot over its back and missed, and then I shot again, and I shot over it again.

Speaker 1 22:27

Did the bull just bolt or was he like? How was that?

Speaker 2 22:31

The first shot he ran about 10 feet, oh, and then he stopped and looked at us again, and then I tried to give him another one, but I was shaking so bad.

Speaker 1 22:41

No, that's understandable. I remember when I got a loose I got better off with like a slingshot. Well.

Speaker 2 22:46

Had a better chance of getting him, but yeah.

Speaker 1 22:49

No, that can happen. I remember when my uncle and I got our loose and after I was able to hold it together at the time, but afterwards I was shaking so bad I was trying to reload the gun again in case we needed to, because we couldn't tell. It looked like it went down, but we weren't positive. I was like you know, it's a real thing, you're just shaking the moose fever, buck fever, you know. So then what did the guide say? Like who brought this idiot?

Speaker 2 23:11

No, he's like that's all right it happens all the time. He's like ah, so you give me a few tips on shooting.

Speaker 1 23:17

He did. Okay, well, that's a good guide. That's helpful, right, yeah?

Speaker 2 23:20

But the gun I was using wasn't mine, so it was a left-handed bolt. Oh, that's different, so it took me longer to reload it. Yeah, so I ended up switching guns with Amanda.

Speaker 1 23:32

Because she didn't need hers. Yeah, she was already tagged out. She's done.

Speaker 2 23:36

Yeah, so I got her 30 at six and then, uh, I think it was the next day kind of, where you, we, went out in the Argos. When you leave the camp you go in like a bit of a ravine and follow it and then the trails that they had wide.

Speaker 1 23:54

Okay, so we uh, but the guy gave you a couple tips on shooting. He was cool about it. Yeah, he was like no big deal yeah he wasn't an asshole or anything. That's good All right, he shouldn't be. I was just seeing, I don't know, some people have tempers.

Speaker 2 24:05

No, he was all.

Speaker 1 24:06

They were good about it.

Speaker 2 24:11

Yeah, I mean regardless, but yes, you switch guns up yeah, you feel confident with that, that way you you can reload, quicker you can reload quicker if you miss another one sure yep, but anyways uh, we've gone out hunting for the day and on the way back, just before you get to the camp where we were staying under the lodge, there were some wet holes there and I me and dad were in the air, going like.

Speaker 2 24:37

I think maybe tomorrow, tomorrow night, we'll leave a little bit earlier, like come back from hunting earlier, and I said because we're used to hunting bears. So when we were to rewind, a bit like when we hunt bears, we'd go in and bait and one guy would get in the stand and then they'd leave because they're used to the bike being coming.

Speaker 1 24:57

Yes, 100%.

Speaker 2 24:58

So I was like maybe they're used to that.

Speaker 1 25:00

They trained really well to that.

Speaker 2 25:02

Yeah, I was like well, maybe the moose are just used to the Argos going, so they wait until the Argos go by and then they come out. That's smart, mackenzie.

Speaker 1 25:10

Yeah, great old, country boy hick, yeah, I said that.

Speaker 2 25:14

And then we get back to camp, probably like five minutes left of legal shooting night. Yep, we hear a bang. I'm like you're shitting me. Anyways, Larry and them were out hunting. They were on their way back. We'd already gone by with the Argo and they were coming with theirs. Yeah, and there's a cow there in one of them holes.

Speaker 1 25:44

So you got that really. Yeah, I was like, well, that was a good idea. I just, yeah, it was done in a day earlier. Yeah, it worked. Uh, for someone else basically, yeah, okay. So then they tagged out, yeah, yeah, so then it was.

Speaker 2 25:52

so then larry was hunting with uh, I think he's got a .338 Lapua Lapua.

Speaker 1 25:58

Lapua? I think it's Lapua.

Speaker 2 25:59

Yeah, it's a big caliber, it's a freaking hammer yeah, so that was our second to last day at dark when Larry tagged out.

Speaker 1 26:09

Oh really.

Speaker 2 26:10

Yeah, so I think we were only at that flying camp for about five days.

Speaker 1 26:16

I think Now did you guys see a lot of moose. So I think we were only at that fly-in camp for about five days. I think Now did you guys see a lot of moose. Were you waiting for a bull? Were you waiting for a cow? It was either sex, right.

Speaker 2 26:25

Yeah, I forget how they do have a certain way the tags worked out. Okay, I can't remember the logistics of it, that's all right. I think I had like a cow, a bull or something, but I was gonna shoot like the first thing I could see yeah, I was a trophy hunting.

Speaker 1 26:42

You're meat hunting, yeah. So you guys didn't see a lot, because I know sometimes new. I mean I've been to newfoundland. There is a lot of moose there, but I have heard of guys hunting there and just they're not moving in that particular area at that time a year, right so we had seen some a couple different days, but they were too far away yeah and we never got a shot at them.

Speaker 1 27:04

No, yes, but did you guys see any of the kind of wildlife? Did you see any caribou black bear? I think they had wolves, but I'm not positive. Don't quote me on that yeah'm not sure.

Speaker 2 27:14

I think the other guys had seen a couple of caribou.

Speaker 1 27:18

Okay, that's pretty cool. Yeah, yeah, but other than that.

Speaker 2 27:23

That's about it.

Speaker 1 27:24

Do they have partridge there, or ptarmigan? I think it's partridge.

Speaker 2 27:28

Ptarmigan, it is ptarmigan. Maybe it is ptarmigan, yeah, yeah yeah. And a lot of snowshoe hare. Yeah, it's just the perfect habitat for them.

Speaker 1 27:39

Yeah, I had never seen too many of them, but we never had snow on the ground either okay, so they wouldn't really stick out right just looking for moose I did see some tarmageddon over there, though, did you, yeah, but you had a good time though. So then, you guys got back to camp so there's what two out of the four moose tags filled.

Speaker 2 27:54

Yeah, oh yeah so then, uh, two out of the four moose tags filled yeah, oh, yeah. So then, uh, when was it? Yeah, the last day dad got his larry's gun and we split up. Yeah, I'm gonna put some meat on the table yeah, somebody in this family's got it yeah, so we split up and uh, they ended up shooting one. They weren't very far away from us.

Speaker 1 28:18

Your dad got one.

Speaker 2 28:19

Dad got a cow yeah.

Speaker 1 28:20

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 28:20

The last day it was like 350 yards, I think, or 350 or 400.

Speaker 1 28:26

Drilled it.

Speaker 2 28:27

Yeah, really.

Speaker 1 28:28

Yeah, that's a big gun.

Speaker 2 28:32

Because he never target practiced with it or anything, because he wasn't planning on shooting anything. Right yeah, and it's a big caliber and he never shot it before. So he's like, oh, there's a moose there. So dad's like, well, I can't freehand that, so there's a big rock there. He gets down on his belly and he's like I don't know where this thing's shooting he goes. I put it right on her backbone that way, if it yeah, the bullet dropped, he'd get her anyways.

Speaker 1 29:00

he took her backbone right hit right where he was aiming for. So that gun was.

Speaker 2 29:04

There was much droppage in it no, she wasn't dropping any, but anyways, he that was. I think that was the last full day we were there. So we heard the gunshot. You and your guide heard it.

Speaker 1 29:23

Yeah, heard the gunshot yeah.

Speaker 2 29:24

So we ended up just like, yeah, let's go see them check it out. I was pretty disgusted with myself for missing and we'd been hunting pretty hard. Yeah, you guys a lot of walking and scouting and yeah, yeah, I was tired. So we went and, uh, did up dad's moose and got it all taken care of. And then everybody got a moose, but me, but that's my own fault. They put one in front of me and I just never hit it?

Speaker 1 29:54

No, it happens. I'm sure everyone made funny lots and I know that when you came home we did, we definitely did, and didn't help you feel any better. But in all fairness, it is a big animal. You get shaken, the moose fever kicks in and you know just, it does happen. It definitely happens. But you had a good adventure. I mean, that's what it's all about too. You had a lot of fun. You'd never been. I don't think you'd have been out of your little area in Havelock, New Brunswick, before that You'd never, been farther than the 20-square-mile radius All right, let's not push it.

Speaker 2 30:28

Been to Nova Scotia a couple times, but that's only a couple hours away Through Skype.

Speaker 1 30:34

Through my Zoom meetings. No, but I mean you going over there. It is neat If you've never been over there before. It's a unique place to see. It's nice. A lot of friendly people there, oh yeah, the people are excellent.

Speaker 2 30:47

Yeah, yeah, they are. The food was good. It was an awesome trip, yep, first time in a helicopter, everything.

Speaker 1 30:52

Well, yeah, yeah, first time on a big boat like that too, I imagine.

Speaker 2 30:56

Yeah, I slept on the boat, though, really yeah.

Speaker 1 30:58

I can't. I wasn't hanging out. No, but yeah, just the whole trip in itself. It's the adventure. It is hunting, not shooting.

Speaker 2 31:06

Yeah.

Speaker 1 31:07

Except for you did shoot twice and you missed no.

Speaker 2 31:10

But it is all about the adventure and stuff.

Speaker 1 31:11

It is all about the adventure and stuff, and you had a lot of fun. That was eight years ago and you told that I think quite well too, so the memories stuck with you quite well. So, obviously you had a good enough time and all that, so you'd recommend going back.

Speaker 2 31:27

Yeah, I'm actually. Hopefully in a couple of years I'll go back, I'll talk dad into it and we'll go back.

Speaker 1 31:33

And I'll try and redeem myself. They'll have you both on the podcast. Get your dad's point of view from how everything went down.

Speaker 2 31:38

Yeah, I think now they have a new lodge like a trophy lodge.

Speaker 1 31:42

Okay.

Speaker 2 31:43

So I don't know if I had to get dad talked into doing it, because you're not at the trophy one, they don't have ergos or anything. You fly into the camp, then you walk from the camp and you got to backpack everything back if you shoot something.

Speaker 1 31:55

oh really okay, which should?

Speaker 1 31:57

be fun, but I don't think I get to talk to that there's probably a lot of people you'd have a harder time talking into it, including yourself. Yeah, you look in the mirror like we can do this, mckenzie. Right, we can do it. I don't know the guy looking back at me second guessing it, but no, it'd be cool to see it. It's all about the adventure, you know, just making the memories and the hunting, like I said, the animals. The bonus, it's the cherry on top, mackenzie. That's a great story. I know you've got some more. We'll get to those another day. Thanks for coming on. It's been a little bit in the making, but you're home, you're able to come out so.

Speaker 2 32:28

I appreciate it Nice to be here, thanks for, I guess, rowan, one little more story.

Speaker 1 32:40

Absolutely so, my dad's a big boy.

Speaker 2 32:42

All right, he's healthy looking. He's a big man and I was smaller than I am now at the time of the hunt. So, anyways, the guide that we had was a young fella in his 20s or whatever, and he was a big boy. So there's a picture, I'll send it to you.

Speaker 1 32:57

We'll use that for the picture for the podcast Helga.

Speaker 2 33:00

Yeah, all right, but when you look at that, if you didn't know that I was dad's kid. You would think that the guide was actually dad's kid and I was the guide.

Speaker 1 33:09

You were just tagging along, yeah, the guide.

Speaker 2 33:11

Looked exactly like my dad's son. Is there any?

Speaker 1 33:14

your dad's like Mackenzie, actually something he needs to tell you this is my first time in Newfoundland.

Speaker 2 33:18

Yeah, I asked him that too when we were out there.

Speaker 1 33:21

Really, yeah, is Steve the guy that's my brother?

Speaker 2 33:27

Yeah, You'll see the picture.

Speaker 1 33:33

Land of opportunity over there. All right sounds good. Yeah, yeah, all right Sounds good. Yeah, send that to me. All right, all right, thanks, mackenzie, thanks.